Instinctual
by Natural Inclination
Summary: AUish. Demons have made a perfect angel trap, sealing several angels in one town. When they go mad and revert to instincts Sam and Dean end up playing animal control. Non-Romance, Rated T for scenes and language.


**Story: Instinctual**

**Overall Rating: T(For scenes and language)**

**Chapter: 1-Contemplation**

**Specific Chapter Rating: N/A **

**Characters Featured: Dean, Sam, Bobby, Michael, Lucifer, Gabriel, Raphael, various angels mentioned in background or passing, Crowley**

**ANs: I made up the town Iris, it is completely fictional so I can bend and use it to my will. My apologies? Also my apologies that this chapter came out so small, I assure you the following chapters will be much longer. It is just a little introduction however. **

The motel certainly wasn't anything special. Every single one they had ever graced their presence with had the same distinctive odor that resembled an old hag's living room. The smell of withered old furniture and cat piss leaking up through the creaky floorboards and taking out the oxygen most people needed to breathe. The man at the counter was just like every other downtown manager and didn't question anything at all when the brothers had asked for a single room. Nothing at all weird about two young men carrying dufflebags, one with blood caked down his front. At least, it wasn't weird if you didn't want the cops sniffing around the entire compound.

The room itself was so simple one would think the owners hadn't expected human life for years upon years. The beds were twin sized, draped in homespun afgans from some poor lady who didn't know her items were being auctioned when she was taken into the home. The pillows had to have been stuffed with small blankets and the ends were tied crudely with rubber bands. The carpet was ripped up in spots, stains littering in almost a checkerboard pattern and the wallpaper connected to it was peeling off in abundance.

The older brother was sitting on the edge of his bed, closest to the door, his head resting in his hand. He didn't look at his brother who was staring intently at him from his spot in front of the window. The voices of concern were washing over him but they almost sounded like the peanut's parents to him. He didn't want to hear comfort, or excuses. All he wanted were answers.

_"Sam...Dean...I need your help." _

That voice...he could still hear it clear as day. His angel...his friend... The memory of that day held so much meaning. Castiel had come to them, his usual request at hand, but this time was different. Much different. It wasn't about the apocolypse. He had recieved a message...one of those angel radio transmissions. It called him forward, beckoned him to follow and he felt he had too. However at the same time...he had his doubts...

_"What is it this time Cas?" _

_The humans turned their gaze on him, putting him on the spot. It felt like he was in front of a crowd of thousands, being asked to explain the impossible. That's how he felt with the Winchesters. He knew them, he respected them, he worried for them...but he also felt a sense of humbleness near them. He could stand up to angels...God's army...he knew their lives, their experiences, their will...but these humans...were so different. They fought for everything they have...they took burdens that were not their own...they felt emotions...something he could never truly comprehend. In their own way...they were stronger. _

_"I...I believe I may have heard God." _

That's where Dean began to doubt. After all this time, God suddenly calls out to his children? Asks them to meet him at a certain location...certain time? It had to have been a trap. Every fiber of Dean's being was screaming "trap". He wanted to grab Cas' sleeve, tug him back and make him think but he had let his emotions get the better of him. The sheer hope in his angel's eyes had been enough to make him agree...enough to make his inner hunter crumble. If eyes are windows to the soul then the brothers must've had their first glimpse of the purity in Castiel.

He had been reduced to a child in his personality. He was fidgeting, nervous...but excited...like when you tell a child there's a huge surprise wherever you're going and they sit in the backseat constantly on edge. They took the chance either way, boarding up into the impala and making their way to Iris, a small town close to the Canadian border.

They certainly hadn't been expecting company.

_"God is here...? Really? If I was him I'd make myself a little mansion on the nice side of California. Beach front...I mean c'mon. Omnipotentness has gotta have its advantages." Dean called over his baby to his brother and the slowly emerging angel as they exited, finding themselves at the edge of town. _

_They had stopped before a small bridge, seemingly only being able to hold people and there was no way on God's green earth Dean was going to send his precious car through that creek there. He nudged Sam as they crossed back to the trunk, watching Castiel out of the corner of their eyes. He was making his way slowly to the front of the impala gazing around at the lush scenery. It was quiet, animals and the occasional honk from a vehicle in town being the only noise for miles. Trees governed over the dirt trail crossing through the bridge and a sign post was the only thing confirming their destination. _

_It almost looked like someone had scribbled the name "Iris" with permanent marker. _

_Just as the hunters had secured their defense of choice, two shotguns filled with iron rounds and one silver blade each, they were suddenly not alone. _

_"Dean...!" Sam cautioned as he glanced up once more at their angel, moving around the car quickly to come up beside him. Dean slammed the trunk closed, his eyes widening at what he saw. Adam...no...Michael the archangel, flanked by Raphael and several other slightly recognized soldiers of God stood in a formation, a half circle, around them. _

_All eyes, all piercing the soul of humanity eyes, were on them. It would've been almost comical...an old style western shootout scene...if it hadn't been so serious. Dean saddled up alonside his brother and angel, rubbing at the skin beneath his nose and took a deep breath before cracking his traditional grin. _

_"Well if it isn't Lieutenant Dickwad and his motely crew. To what do we owe this displeasure?" _

_Castiel tensed visibly as Raphael took a step forward, Michael's hand being the only thing to stop him from challenging the humans. Just as he opened his mouth to speak however his gaze faultered, turning to look beside them...eyes half-lidded in thought. Soon after and each angel was following his gaze and the Winchesters found themselves also curious. Following the many eyes they did their best to hold their jaws closed..._

_The wind was beginning to whip around them, coming to a centerpoint that was almost spiraling upwards from the ground. Each angel was tensing, some even backing away from the two archs before them...they knew this entrance...only one angel was known for it. The flair, the dramatics...the sheer terror the sudden weather change caused. There was a silent intake of air as none other than Lucifer himself appeared before them. _

_His vessel Nick, appeared calm and at ease as he walked forward but the air around them tasted different. It was tenser than before, the premonition of a battle hanging around them. He spread his arms out, shrugged slightly and smirked at Michael slowly. _

_"Well, Well. Seems like I'm not the only one who heard it." He glanced over at the brothers, barking out a short laugh that seemed hollow. "Even you lot followed your angel here! Ha! and unless I'm mistaken..." He paused, lifting a finger to his ear. "I hear the flutter of our last brother's wings...everyone's invited." Clasping his hands together he glanced over at the angels behind the archs, grinning when they all visibly flinched. _

_"Of course everyone was invited. It wouldn't have been much of a party without the guests of honor." _

Crowley...Dean's hate for that demon could be spat out tangible into a napkin. That should've been the hint...the seal of the deal to get out of there immediately. That demon was never showing up for anything good. With a groan he rubbed at his temples with his finger and thumb, refusing to look up as the images flashed across his mind.

Demons...hundreds of demons...a neverending line of black-eyed humans surrounding the town in a twisted legion.

Crowley's grin as they immediately dropped to the ground, their fingertips exploding like fireworks that became a wall of see-through glass. It was towering over the town in seconds, enclosing the angels and hunters inside.

Crowley's laughter as several of the winged soldiers reacted in fear, taking to the air and slamming themselves into the barrier their bodies erupting into holy fire flames that sends shreds of their vessels sailing across the area.

_The demons themselves were slowly dieing, collasping as their bodies burned to ashes...but the one in the suit was walking forward, smirking to himself as all eyes trained on him. Michael barked an order, something in a language only the angels undstood and they ceased to fight, the ones still alive settling back to the ground. They were still paniced but they were under control as needed. _

_"Like it...? Its a new little invention...we call it the angel's trap. Catchy huh? A brother to that filthy symbol our little Castiel cooked up. This one however is a bit different...can't say too much, you'll start thinking you can get away. For now just stew in your little world." _

_The panic set in yet again as the crossroads demon left, several of the angels immediately speaking up to their governs begging for answers. Lucifer was scowling in the spot where the demon once stood, his eyes blazing in anger as he walked forward towards the barrier. Hand moving to the wall, he pressed one finger to it and they all stood in awe as unlike the other angels before him his finger was merely reddened by the energy. It looked almost akin to sunburn. _

_Pressing his palm now against the wall, the skin began to tear and shred, blood dripping down his fingers. Each drop hit the ground with force, splattering in a sick pool of sound. After a moment of masochistic hesitation, he pulled away and scowled back at the other beings. His own servants had turned against him and it was obvious he wasn't the least bit happy. _

_"Cas..." Dean muttered, turning to the shellshocked angel. He was staring into space, his jaw open just a bit, eyes filled with concern and thought process. As usual he was probably raking over every possibility in his mind, considering every flaw the trap might have. "Cas. C'mon man...tell me you know a way out of this." _

_After a moment of silence between the angel and his charge, there was a blink and a small nod of acknowledgement. He turned to the brothers and with a swallow of the air caught in his throat he motioned to the wall. _

_"You are free to leave." _

_That one sentence had caught everyone's attention, all eyes focusing on Castiel and the Winchesters. Sam exchanged a concerned glance with Dean before also motioning to the barrier. "...we can leave...?" _

_"The trap should not harm you. Any human should be able to walk in and out through this area." _

_"...you sure Cas...?" _

_"...yes. I would not risk your lives if I was not." _

Of course they were fine. Castiel was right. Cas is never wrong...not like that. Dean and Sam were safe...they could walk in and out of the trap just as he had said. But any angel...any angel...fallen or not...would be slowly destroyed...

_"I doubt that even Michael would be able to break this. Even the archangels all working together might not be enough." Castiel sighed, gazing through the haze of energy at the brothers. Most angels had dispearsed, looking for a doggy door of sorts and now the humans sat on the hood of the impala, getting any details they could through their only contact. _

_"Not like there's a chance of that happening either way." _

_"Highly unlikely." _

_"Great...that's just great Cas. So how about telling me some good news maybe? Like some mojo you got hidden on the other side of the world just in case of emergencies like this?" Dean scowled, slamming his hand on the metal underneath him, patting her gently in apology afterwards. _

_"Dean! Give him a break! Even Cas doesn't have all the answers...no offense Cas." Sam protested, holding his hand up as he rolled his eyes over at his older brother._

_"Sam is correct Dean. I am merely an angel." _

_"Trapped in a magical clear box...hey would one of those creepy clown things be an expert on this...? You know...the ones that preform on streets?" _

_"...you mean a mime Dean...?" _

_"Yeah that thing!" _

Sure he cracked jokes then...but that's what he does when he's nervous...when he's...okay he wouldn't admit he was scared.

_"You should go. I will be fine Dean." _

_"You're trapped in a box with a whole bunch of your super powerful brothers that rather have you dead! How am I supposed to believe that!" _

_"...either way Dean...we can't be of much help to him in there. That town is tiny isn't it? Barely got a library? We'd have better resources out here...we can head back to Bobby's...read up on all that we can. Then we come back here and bust Cas out." _

_"Please Dean." _

He had listened...he had left his angel...left his angel in a box of rabid beasts. He knew he shouldn't have done it...he knew he should've stayed. The research was taking too long, coming up nothing and each visit to his angel was getting shorter and shorter...until...Cas stopped coming. He had insisted they take every weekend to check back in on him, Sam had once almost convinced him to make it every other...but that wasn't going to happen.

The day they showed up and he wasn't there was worse than anything the apocolypse could bring. They had combed the town, searching and calling for him...but there was nothing...not a single sign of the trench coat wearer. They had lost him...

After three weeks of nearly non-stop searching they had given up...had assumed the worst...

Sam said they had to get on with their lives...if Cas still alive maybe he had found a way to escape, maybe he just hadn't had time to contact them. Maybe it had triggered another battle. They had spent three months without any information leading to the whereabouts of their angel.

They had gotten home from a hunt, dropped immediately to the couch and any chair they could grab to hold their weight in Bobby's living room. Some idiot had conjured a creature they couldn't even classify, earning them a long exasperating hunt that resulted in several injuries. Just as they closed their eyes to relax however, their surrogate father was turning on his television and nudging the oldest one awake.

_"Scientists have started calling them 'angels' a codename that may change later once they are classified as a species or mutation. These 'angels' are human-like in appearence but possess large wings...sometimes in varying number and seem to be quite strong. So far the only sightings have been reported in Iris, North Dakota. The town claims they just showed up one day and seem to never leave...their police have advised that tourists are not welcome as some 'angels' are territorial and may attack if given reason...more news to develope as-" _

_"They're alive." Bobby stated matter-o-factly as the brothers finally blinked, their eyes locked on the tv. "Been news like that all morning. They're asking for specialists...people who might know what these things really are..." _

And that's how the two ended up in this motel, listening to Bobby's pre-cautioning words over the phone before they set out back into the town. They were determined, determined to get their angel back. If they could prove that Castiel was still alive...they'd go straight to Crowley...beat the shit out of the demon...and free their angel once and for all.

Closing the phone with a small clack, the older one stood, glancing back briefly as he placed last piece of his luggage in his dufflebag. Sam moved away from the window, tucking his laptop away and paused as Dean grunted. Lifting up on the gun on the bed, pushing one more bullet in and hoisting it onto his shoulder he tugged the bag into his hand.

"Ready Sammy?"

One nod from his brother was all he needed and soon they were making their way towards the impala.

"Let's get our angel back."


End file.
